Veteran rapper Fat Joe is mourning the death of his beloved mother, Marie.
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On Saturday, the 54-year-old shared the heartbreaking news of his mother, Marie Del-Carmen Cartagena’s passing, in a poignant Instagram post.
She was 77 years old, per TMZ.
The candid photos include his mother posing with her son, friends, and family, along with a photo of her as a young woman.
“This is a real one, rest in peace to the woman who brought me into this world,” Fat Joe (real name is Joseph Antonio Cartagena) wrote alongside the series of shots. “She didn’t have much, but she gave us everything.”
“Anyone who knows my mom knows she had a heart of gold. She refused to move out of the projects for many years, even though I had money,” he added. “She loved her community, she loved her people — Ms. Ruby the Terror Squad Queen.”
Fat Joe revealed that his mother was “proud of us,” referring to “everyone in the crew,” including his friends and collaborators like DJ Khaled, Remy Ma, and stylist Terrell Jones.
Fat Joe’s Father Passed Away in February
Marie’s passing comes just under three months after the death of Fat Joe’s father, Ernesto, who passed away in February at the age of 89. The couple shared a remarkable 60 years together before Ernesto’s death, Fat Joe revealed.
“I have to give thanks to the Father, my God, for letting me have her in my life this long,” Fat Joe added. “Truth is she died of a broken heart. 60 years with a man, and he recently just died, my dad wanted her with him.”
“To the Castro family, the Cartagena family, the Delgado family,” he went on, then turned his attention directly to his mother.. “I love you, and thank you for the outpouring of love. Mommy, till I see you again. You were my world, my heart, my everything. I’ll continue to make you proud.”
Meanwhile, in January, the rapper honored his mom’s birthday with heartfelt words in an Instagram post, calling her “the love of my life.”
“I pray to God everyday and thank him for him having you in my life,” he captioned a snapshot of himself embracing Marie. “We had a rough one, but we got us, and I will forever be by your side.”